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"Iron sharpens iron," Simon Bridges told the crowd at Kaikohe in the morning, the latest whistle-stop on his tour of New Zealand.

He was talking about being in Opposition but the same could be said for his town-hall style tour of the country.

Tough-as-iron provincial New Zealand is sharpening up the new National Party leader. At the RSAs of Kaikohe and Kerikeri, there were questions from left field, right field and some completely out-of-bounds.

National leader Simon Bridges in front of a crowd of 160 in Kerikeri. Photo / Peter de Graaf

One woman asked: "What do the National Party think about this gender neutrality in schools and Rainbow education? I don't want my grandson growing up thinking he can be a boy or a girl."

And Simon Bridges talked bridges. He had to - everyone remembers him coming here during the 2015 by-election, sprinkling bridges like seasoning on a meal. Bridges, bae.

That was when Winston Peters ate his way through National's pork barrel to take the seat, reminding National to take nothing for granted. In case it forgot, he reminded National again last year and is now Deputy Prime Minister.

So Bridges isn't taking anything for granted. This whistle stop tour of New Zealand has him visiting towns all over the countryside, including Kaikohe and Kerikeri.

National's Matt King - his escort for the day - knows tipping out Peters doesn't guarantee an electorate for life, or even in 2020.